Improvement in car-axle boxes



1. u. IMBODEN.

Car-Axle Box. No 162,073. Patented April 1311875.-

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JoHN D. IMBoDEN, oF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-AXLE BOXES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 162,073, dated April13, 1875; application filed March 2, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN D. IMBoDEN, of Richmond, in the county ofHenrico and State of Virginia, have invented a new and Improved Oar-AxleLnbricator; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, in whichFigure l is a vertical cross-section; Fig. 2 a side elevation.

The invention relates to that class of lubricators in which is employedsome wicking or other absorbent, which takes up oil, free from sediment,and conveys it by capillary attraction into contact with the surface ofjournal and bearings. It consists in a structure or framing, thatsupports the wickin g or textile fabric in its intended location, andthus enables it to always remain in proper relative position to thejournal and bearing.

This invention will first be fully described, in connection with thedrawing, and then clearly pointed out in the claim.

A represents a webbing, and B the elastic wire-frame. The frame B holdsup against the two sides of the journal, immediately below the brassbearings, the two ends of a piece of cotton, textile webbing, orlamp-wick, A, while the central portion is spread out to the width ofthe box, and rests on or near the bottom of the same in a horizontalposition, so as to be always in contact with the oil, which is carriedup to the ends of the webbing by capillary attraction, and applied tothe journal by the gentle pressure of the webbing A on both sides of thejournal, thus lubricating the journal effectually, and at the same timewiping off and cleaning the journal from any particles of dust or sandthat may find their way into the box, and by this cleaning processprotecting the journal and bearings from the rapid wearing away andcutting out occasioned by sand and dust when permitted to find alodgment between the journal and its bearings. This dimishes theliability of hot boxes.

The peculiar form of my device insures the separation of all earthy andsolid matter from the oil before its introduction between thebearing-surfaces, and the deposit of such solid matter in the bottom ofthe box, where it can do no harm. These objects are attained by theclasping or clamping operation of the springs, which insure perfectcontact between webbing and opposite sides of journal, and in all itsmovements and under all conditions. These springs may be fiat, andeither broad or narrow, and be made'of steel or brass, bent in theproper shape, and united by cross-bars at top and bottom 5 or they maybe simply constructed of wire, as herein described and have the webbingstitched to them, as indicated in the drawing. 1f desirable, the ends ofthe webbing may be folded over a small strip of leather, to act as acushion under the points of contact between the webbing and the journal,and thus materially increase the durability of the webbing.

The form and size of my device admit of its introduction into anyrailway-axle box without screws or other fastenings. It is kept fromrising by the brass bearings, made of the proper width. The sides orwalls of the boxes prevent any lateral motion of the bottom frame, andthe rim at the end of the journal keeps it adjusted longitudinally inthe box.

The base of the spring, from b to D is equal in length to the clearwidth of the inside of the box, and the arms b b and B D about ahalf-inch shorter than the distance between the bottom of the box andlower edges of the brass bearings over the journal. Or, in lieu of suchsprings, and preferably, I use simply brass or steel wire of small size,employing two pieces, and bend them alike, as shown, with a singlespiral turn at b 11 and l bend the two ends toward each other, so as tobe brought together parallel to the bottom of the box, turning downabout a half-inch of the wire at each extremity, to secure them togetherwith a few stitches through the webbing.

Having thus made two wire-springs, each of which has a pair of uprightarms, I lay them together so that the bottom part of the two springsform a parallelogram, b b b 1), two sides of which, it is obvious, willhave a double wire running transversely across the bottom of the box,while the ends will have only a single wire, equal in length to thewidth of the webbing.

Having thus prepared my frame, I cut a piece of webbing and fold theends together, running a seam across the fold in the middle, at 00, thussecuring a projection of the webbing to touch the bottom of the box, andto draw up the oil as long as there is any. I then set the springs onthe webbing, stitching the double Wires to the webbing at w, and then atthe corners b b 1) N. This being done, I turn up the ends of the webbingover the horizontal double bars, connecting so as to bring the frayedends on the inside next to the journal, and stitch them securely in thatposition, inserting a strip of leather in the fold, if desirable, whenthe device is completed and ready for insertion into the box.

I am aware that an absorbent or capillary fabric has been employed todrawthe fluid lubricant gradually into contact with the jouu nal; andthat a wire-frame, fastened in the axle-box by slot and hooks, has beenused to

